The current approach to printed document security relies primarily on a customized application that uses an application programming interface (API) provided by a vendor to embed visible and/or invisible optical security features into an intermediate digital data stream and/or file with print data for a document. The processed data stream and/or file is transmitted to a local or networked printer for printing the document.
Due to the need for integration with proprietary APIs into workflows, a digital document generated by a commercial off-the-shelve (COTS) software application, such as a word processor or spreadsheet, cannot be easily embedded with optical security features prior to printing. In addition, a custom application developed on top of a proprietary optical security feature solution coupled at the design level requires implementation changes in the event of migrating to other forms of printed security features.
A COTS application can be customized to incorporate the proprietary API of a selected technology. However, the feasibility of this approach depends on the design of the application and thus may not be an extensible solution. This approach is especially less feasible and more costly in an enterprise setting where multiple productivity applications are used.
Therefore, there is a need to alleviate the problems with embedding an optical security feature into a document to be printed.